Exploring Mindfulness with Your Child – School can be challenging for children, and events like exams can bring on stress and anxiety. It’s important that children learn how to deal with these emotions, not just for school but day to day life. Mindfulness can help and is a way that they can regain focus and reduce stress when feeling overwhelmed. Techniques involve the five senses (touch, taste, smell and what they can see and hear) and aim to help them connect with the present moment.
We’ve teamed up with a prep school in Kent to share a few ways that you can explore mindfulness with your child.
Exploring Mindfulness – Mindful Breathing
The way we breathe can significantly reduce anxiety and help us relax. When anxious the way that we breathe changes as it becomes quicker and shallower, as well as more difficult for us to breathe. Slowing it down and being mindful of the way that we breathe can help us physically, and grounds us to the present moment.
Exploring Mindfulness – Create a Mindful Jar
This method involves crafting a mindfulness jar. What they will need is an empty jar (ideally one that’s water-tight), water and glitter. They will need to fill the jar with each of the contents and seal tightly so that nothing spills out. Once that’s done, it’s ready to be used. They can shake when they feel anxious and watch the glitter fall.
Exploring Mindfulness – Muscle Relaxation
We feel anxious, we can end up with tension in different parts of the body such as our neck, face and arms which can make us feel worse. Noticing where it builds up and releasing it where it is can help children to feel less tense and calm within themselves.
Exploring Mindfulness – Body Scanning
Body scanning is a similar exercise, except it involves squeezing different areas of the body, noticing tension, and releasing it. It’s a great one to do before bed as it helps children to feel notably more relaxed.
Exploring Mindfulness – Counting Candles
This exercise is designed for children that are younger and involves blowing out pretend candles. Using their hands, they must imagine that their fingers are lit candles and blow each until they are extinguished.
As well as exploring the mindfulness techniques we’ve shared, it’s important to have conversations with children about their mental health and have an open dialogue. Talking can be just as effective, if not more, as you can address the issues they’re dealing with. Emotions also vary from day to day, so they may need extra support on some more than others.
*Collaborative post